Contact Lenses Many choices, many options

Improved contact lenses with new materials and designs enter the market all the time. Today, contacts fit better, pass more oxygen, bridge over uneven eye shapes, stay cleaner and give striking colours to the eyes. Even astigmatism can now be corrected with them.

What’s Now Available

Two week disposable single vision contact lenses
These lenses can be worn daily for up to a total of 14 wears. However, you do need to disinfect the lens each night. Be sure to use the proper disinfectant solution.

Daily disposable contact lenses
This lens is terrific for people who play sports or sometimes wear contacts on occasion for social events. You don’t have to worry about cleaning the lens, since it is thrown out after each wear. It’s also the most economical lens for those who use contacts only occasionally since you only pay for the lenses you use.

Coloured disposable contact lenses
Coloured contacts come as either two-week or four-week lenses. Even the darkest eye colour can now be changed and a wide range of colours is available.

Disposable contact lenses for astigmatism
These are also available as two-week or four-week lenses. They correct the astigmatism, giving you crisp, clear vision. They are available in tints for any eye colour.

Disposable bifocal contact lenses
A large selection of disposable bifocal lenses can be worn for one day or up to one month. These lenses are much improved over the original bifocal contacts, which were expensive and didn’t always provide clear vision. These lenses eliminate the need to have a pair of reading glasses in your pocket.

Do You Have Astigmatism?

Astigmatism means the front clear surface of the eye (ie the cornea) has two different curvatures, one steep and one shallow. Corneal disease can also cause irregular corneal curvature. Not too many years ago, if you had astigmatism you were told you couldn’t wear soft contact lenses. In fact, it has always been possible to correct astigmatism with soft contact lenses. The lenses were more expensive a few years ago, and it took up to six weeks for them to be custom made.

Toric lenses correct astigmatism by putting two powers into one contact lens. If the lens rotates, your vision becomes blurry. A comparison would be like wearing your glasses very crooked. It is possible to stabilize the contact lenses so they don’t rotate, so vision is much better. Toric lenses can also be made in a disposable form to be replaced every two or four weeks. These lenses are easy to use, comfortable, and save money on cleaning solutions.

The advantage of wearing disposable or frequent replacement toric contact lenses is that you replace the lens before it becomes damaged, soiled, and out of shape with age. This is definitely healthier for your eyes and eyelids. Rubbing lenses after each wear is still very important to help remove the sticky stubborn deposits. A dirty contact can also cause an abrasion or ulcer of the cornea. Lenses that have not been kept clean or kept longer than the recommended wearing schedule can lead to itchiness, which is the start of allergies to your own tear deposits. When in doubt about how to clean your lenses, always call your eye care professional, as not all lenses require the same cleaning products.

If your astigmatism is greater than what is currently available in disposable contact lenses, it is still possible to custom-make lenses in any prescription and curve. If you have other special requirements, a gas-permeable hard lens may do the job.

Disposable lenses can be worn four to six hours the first day you receive them, and up to 12 hours after only four days. A few days after you get your new lenses, a follow-up exam is required to make sure the lenses fit properly. If the rotation is off, new lenses are ordered.

If you have ever been told you can’t wear contact lenses, now is the time to be reassessed. With advancements in technology, chances are you can. No matter how severe your astigmatism, as long as your eyes are healthy, you should be able to wear lenses to correct astigmatism.

To Parents with Children Wanting Contacts

There are three main factors to consider when deciding whether or not your child should have contacts. These include motivation, maturity, and personal hygiene. Both parents and children need to be in agreement. It may also help if the child helps to pay for part of the contact lens cost. Parents may wish to negotiate with their children, requiring help with chores, a clean room, or better personal grooming in exchange for the privilege of wearing contact lenses.

Children must follow the rules for wearing contacts, including staying with the number of hours and wears suggested. A 16-hour wearing schedule is not suggested for anyone wearing contact lenses.

Warnings Regarding Contact Lens Technology

The first and most important rule with any type of contact lens is that if your eyes are red or painful or your vision is blurry for longer than 24 hours, you should seek emergency care from a medical eye specialist. It is important to remember that contact lens is a piece of plastic sitting on the eyeball, so there are some important rules for successful use of contacts.

Keep the lens clean.

Don’t over-wear on a daily basis.

Don’t wear a disposable lens too many times.

Despite today’s great technology, there can still be problems with wearing contact lenses. The contact might be dirty, not fit properly and, in fact, be terrible; however, the technology today is so good that the contact lens may still feel okay. Since the wearer can’t tell there may be a problem, the trial fit, regular checks, and medical expertise are all very important to ensure proper safe contact lens wear.

Ortho Keratology - A Health Warning

For over 30 years some eye care providers have been trying to reshape the cornea with a contact lens that distorts normal corneal anatomy. Current ortho keratology lenses are worn overnight. Canadian ophthalmologists have grave concerns regarding this type of therapy. Recently, the use of ortho keratology contact lenses resulted in a severe corneal infection (parasitic keratitis) and legal blindness in a Canadian teenager.

A correct fit is particularly important in the dry, desert winter climate of the prairie provinces. A contact lens needs a good tear film to slide over the cornea. In a dry climate, or with a dry eye, the contact doesn’t move as well. Some people need to use lubricating drops or a vaporizer, especially in winter. Car heaters dry out the eyes; warm dry air blowing on the eye evaporates the tear film. Children wearing contacts should drink more water and avoid pop and chocolate, which are loaded with caffeine that dries out the eyes.

Fitting contact lenses requires an eye exam with measurements by a qualified ophthalmologist or certified eye care professional. This includes tests of the tear film, radius of curvature, lid tension, blink rate, a full assessment of the cornea, and an evaluation of what your individual needs are and the environment in which you will be wearing the lenses. By starting right, you’ll have a better chance to enjoy the benefits of new contact lens technology.